


Wet

by Nympha_Alba



Category: Merlin (TV) RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-20
Updated: 2011-04-20
Packaged: 2017-10-18 10:39:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/188090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nympha_Alba/pseuds/Nympha_Alba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's France, it's spring, it's raining, and an alien army may be waiting to invade.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wet

It's France, it's spring, and it's raining. A nice setting for the first page of a romance novel, Bradley thinks – not that he'd know anything about romance novels – if it hadn't been for the chilly gusts of wind throwing rain in his face, and the fact that he's getting soaked.

Colin is couple of yards ahead where he's stopped and turned around at Bradley's swearing, standing just off-centre in the circle of light under a lamp post with an umbrella over his head. He must have borrowed it from someone, Angel perhaps, because it's happily colourful like no umbrella Colin would ever own. He looks like a bright, incongruous flower grown from the cracked pavement. Bradley's black umbrella has turned itself inside out in the wind, which is why they've stopped, and he's giving up on ever returning it to its original shape and function. Most of all it resembles a piece of futurist-gothic art, a tree in pain, perhaps, with straggly, spindly metal twigs pointing skywards.

"Stop wrestling with the alien," Colin calls through the rush of rain. "I mean, look at the antenna – or are they aerials? It's clearly trying to contact someone. Let's run before the whole army arrives."

Bradley laughs, runs the few steps up to him and ducks in under the bright red and yellow umbrella. "And here I thought you had the eye of a connoisseur. I'm disappointed in you, Morgan."

The rain is drumming on the taut fabric above their heads and Colin's face is very close, their eyes almost level.

"That's bad," says Colin softly. "I don't want to disappoint you."

For a moment Bradley stops breathing, because the look in Colin's eyes is almost serious.

"I'm deeply disappointed," he says sternly instead, holding up the sad remains of his umbrella. "I'd have thought you could see this is a _stingray_ , designed by Tim Burton, and you claiming to be a fan and all. Look. Here, and here – wings, and a tail that curves at the tip. Eeevil."

Colin looks at him with worried eyebrows and something close to pity.

"Yeah," he says like someone humouring a lunatic. "Whatever. Let's _go_."

It's difficult to walk together under the umbrella even if they're the same height. Their shoulders and elbows keep colliding, and after a minute of jostling Bradley throws an arm around Colin's shoulders and makes them walk in step.

"Ah. Better. Works like a charm."

Colin half-turns towards Bradley with a sidelong glance and his pixiest pixie smile. "Well, this is cosy."

Bradley's breath hitches a little.

 _One day_ , he thinks, _one day he's going to see it_ , because their faces are very close very often and Bradley's never been good at hiding things.

Colin is looking straight ahead now but the smile is still there, softened to the ghost of a dimple and a curl of the lip. And Bradley's breath hitches again, because something, _something_ tells him that Colin has already seen it and is only biding his time.

There's a shiver of warmth between them as the rain taps on the umbrella and splashes around their feet, and Bradley's blood sings to the rhythm of his heart.


End file.
